DARIUS HIMES 2011: Publish Your Photography Book + Radius Books

"I have been lucky enough to work with things I'm passionate about, two of the deepest of which are photography and books. This past year has been extremely challenging, rewarding and life-changing in many ways, and it is primarily because of these passions. All of the books that I want to mention are ones that I worked on intimately during the past year. They truly are my favorites! I've been blessed with being able to work on projects and with artists whose work I admire immensely and about whom I care deeply. First and foremost was Publish Your Photography Book (Princeton Architectural Press, 2011), the book I coauthored with Mary Virginia Swanson, the hardest working gal in showbiz :) This project consumed my free hours for the better part of 4 years and was the culmination of so many wonderful conversations with photographers, publishers, editors and designers around the world. I'm immensely proud of it as a publication. And it was designed and art directed by two amazing men: David Chickey and Masumi Shibata (from the Radius Books team)."

"Secondly, each of the photography books I worked on at Radius Books this year were truly amazing projects. I can't emphasize how lucky I have been to work with artists whose visions lift the mind and spirit and who are so dedicated to their work. They include Janelle Lynch's Los Jardines de Mexico, Gay Block's About Love, Shai Kremer's Fallen Empires, Michael Light's LA Day/LA Night, Robert Benjamin's Notes From a Quiet Life, Colleen Plumb's Animals Are Outside Today, Alec Soth and John Gossage's The Auckland Project, Mark Klett and William Fox's The Half-Life of History, and Ralph Eugene Meatyard's Dolls and Masks. There is no way to choose a favorite out of these; all of them are unique, arresting projects and objects that would sit well on any shelf, public or private." –Darius Himes